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Maine
Statistics on children, youth and families in Maine from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Maine Children's Alliance
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Why This Indicator Matters
Students who graduate from high school have higher wages, lower unemployment and are less likely to need public assistance than those who do not graduate. Their long-term physical and mental health is also better if they graduate from high school.
What the data shows
The 2020 graduation rates were about the same as 2019, but in 2021 graduation rates fell from 87.4% to 86.1% and the following year 2022, the rate remained at 86.1%. In 2022, only Sagadahoc County had a rate above 90% at 91.3%. York and Cumberland had the next two highest rates at 88.8% and 88.5%. Three counties had graduation rates in 2022 below 80%. These were Somerset, 74.7%., Franklin, 75.8%, and Piscataquis 76.7%. Between 2021 and 2022, four counties improved their graduation rates by more than 1 percentage points. These were: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Lincoln and Washington. Counties that had graduation rates more than 1 percentage point lower in 2022 as compared to 2021 were: Kennebec, Piscataquis, and Somerset.
Nationally, for the most recent year data was available, the national graduation rate for 2019-2020 was 86.5%, while Maine's rate for 2019-2020 was 87.4%, so Maine's rate was higher than the national average.
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What the data shows
The 2020 graduation rates were about the same as 2019, but in 2021 graduation rates fell from 87.4% to 86.1% and the following year 2022, the rate remained at 86.1%. In 2022, only Sagadahoc County had a rate above 90% at 91.3%. York and Cumberland had the next two highest rates at 88.8% and 88.5%. Three counties had graduation rates in 2022 below 80%. These were Somerset, 74.7%., Franklin, 75.8%, and Piscataquis 76.7%. Between 2021 and 2022, four counties improved their graduation rates by more than 1 percentage points. These were: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Lincoln and Washington. Counties that had graduation rates more than 1 percentage point lower in 2022 as compared to 2021 were: Kennebec, Piscataquis, and Somerset.
Nationally, for the most recent year data was available, the national graduation rate for 2019-2020 was 86.5%, while Maine's rate for 2019-2020 was 87.4%, so Maine's rate was higher than the national average.
Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
The number and percent of youth by county who graduate in 4 years from public schools and 60% publicly funded private schools. The numerator is the number of youth graduating in the state in 4 years and the denominator includes the cohort of ninth grade students 4 years prior plus all transfers in and all transfers out.
Data Source
Special data request to the Maine Department of Education for high school graduation aggregated by the county.
Source for national comparisons
High School Grad Rates 2019- 2020
Source for national comparisons
High School Grad Rates 2019- 2020
Notes
The year refers to the year of graduation, so 2022 is the 2021-2022 school year. In this series, the calculation is at the student level rather than the school level. This makes it "weighted". For example, suppose a county had 3 schools, one with 300 ninth graders and two small schools with 20 ninth graders each. If 70% of the students graduated at the large school and 95% at the two other schools, the student average would be (300x70%)= 210 graduates plus 19 + 19 graduates, so the "weighted average would be 248/340 = 72.9% for the county.
The data for the series 2009 -2013 is unweighted. This means it averages all the individual school graduation rates in a county, rather than taking all the ninth graders in the county and how many of that cohort graduated 4 years later. In the above example, the graduation rates of the three schools would be averaged (70% +95% +95%)/3 = 86.6%. 86.6% would be the unweighted average.
Updated March 2023.
The data for the series 2009 -2013 is unweighted. This means it averages all the individual school graduation rates in a county, rather than taking all the ninth graders in the county and how many of that cohort graduated 4 years later. In the above example, the graduation rates of the three schools would be averaged (70% +95% +95%)/3 = 86.6%. 86.6% would be the unweighted average.
Updated March 2023.
Last Updated
March 2023